New technology in bloom at horticultural show

The International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 will mix emerging technologies with traditional garden culture to provide a visual feast and immersive experience for visitors from around the world.

The fantasy shadow forest, a technical highlight of the upcoming event, also known as Beijing Expo 2019, will use virtual stereo vision, augmented reality, human-machine interaction and mobile streaming media.

"The project was inspired by the stories of the ancient Chinese myth book The Classic of Mountains and Seas.

The exotic flowers and monsters in the book become major characters in the scenes," said Guo Ziliang, deputy director of the expo's information department.

Visitors can enjoy an interactive show, which combines virtuality and reality, light shows and horticulture in the fantasy shadow forest.

Compared with previous expos, Beijing Expo 2019 will use more advanced technology to improve visitors' experiences, Guo said.

An app, featuring exhibition resources, has been designed as a travel guide to eating, lodging, transport and entertainment in the park.

"We will utilize the latest 5G network, which will cover the whole area, to make visitors feel the convenience of this technology," Guo said.

The expo will also showcase 5G technology in telemedicine, autonomous driving, unmanned logistics, drones and other sectors.

There will be three autonomous vehicles in the park to handle security and aerial photography, according to Guo.

In the main pavilions, robot guides, robot baristas and cleaning robots will be operating to provide a faster and better service. For example, a robot barista can make a cup of coffee in just two minutes and therefore reduce queuing times.

As a demonstration zone of 5G technology, Beijing Expo 2019 will have internet giant Baidu's self-driving vehicles and artificial intelligence robots, which can maintain the venues and explain all of the applications for visitors, according to Ye Dahua, deputy director of the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition.

There will also be drone shows where visitors can interact with the machines.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 01/29/2019 page7)